Guest Blog: Actress/Director Olivia Brady On FLESH AND BONE

I grew up in South-East London with my two sisters and our mum, a house of ladies. When I was six, my mum threw us into the local community hall drama classes on a Wednesday, so that someone else could deal with the energy of three little drama queens for one night of the week. It was here that my love of theatre was born.

It wasn't until I grew up that I realised the only way all three of us were able to stay in those classes was because mum was offered a very discounted rate, as she couldn't afford for us all to go. My mum did a fantastic job at never letting us know that we were struggling, or that she was.

She would have put us into every dance, acting or music class there was if she could, but these things cost money, and my single mum had three mouths to feed. Theatreland seemed like a long way away.

When you come from a place with less opportunity than surrounding areas, it's easy to give up on big dreams and be distracted by the thought of having to make money to stay afloat. But I believe that if you place confidence in your abilities and your dreams, you will find a way to make them happen - no matter the adversity.

I was the first of my immediate family to go to university, where I studied Acting. In the beginning, I dropped my South-East London accent and got headshots so I could uphold the look of some classical, RP-speaking actor. I thought that's how you had to be if you wanted to be an actor or be taken seriously in this profession.

However, it was the traits and mannerisms I tried to cover up that have set me apart from the crowd within this gigantic industry. You have to be what you are and create work about what you know.

From this, Flesh and Bone was born. A story of a working-class family on the cusp of poverty, all jam-packed into one flat that is unfairly due for demolition. When creating Flesh and Bone with my partner Elliot Warren we wanted to rock people, shake them, make them feel something.

These kinds of stories are happening now: communities are being torn apart, people's rights are being taken from them, and unjust standards of living for families and individuals are increasing. It was never our original intention to create a piece of theatre with such a strong political message, but once you start delving into these working-class characters, it comes hand in hand.

Working-class theatre can be bold, it can be daring, it doesn't apologise and it doesn't have to. These people have something to say, but they are rarely given the chance to articulate it. Theatre is a perfect platform - it is as raw and as unforgiving as these characters.

The world needs to hear our stories, and I feel incredibly privileged that I have the opportunity to tell them. In the world of theatre, us working-class lot must fight a little harder to be heard, but it is a necessity that we are.

Flesh and Bone at Soho Theatre 3-21 July

Photo credit: Owen Baker

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